Table of Contents
Step 1 | An Introduction to Developing a Volunteer Water Monitoring Program
Step 2 | Setting Goals and Objectives
Step 3 | Understanding Elements of Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) Protocols
Step 4 | Recruiting, Training, and Retaining Volunteers
Step 5 | Collecting Reliable Data
Step 6 | Data Collection, Analysis and Data Management
Step 7 | Evaluating the Success of Your Program
Additional Resources
A Successful Statewide Monitoring Program |
Step 1 | An Introduction to Developing a Volunteer Water Monitoring ProgramAfter completing this section, you should be able to:
In this step you will be given information from a variety of sources about how to make your program successful and have the opportunity to watch videos and listen to people involved in a volunteer monitoring program. After completing this step you should be able to describe the essential elements of a successful volunteer monitoring program. Why Develop a Volunteer Monitoring Program?
Volunteer monitors can make accurate visual observations of habitat and land uses, measure physical and chemical characteristics of water and assess the abundance and diversity of aquatic insects, plants, fish, birds, and wildlife. Having a volunteer monitoring program can help your organization build awareness of pollution problems, assess waters that may have otherwise gone unnoticed, increase the amount of accurate water quality information available and in the long term, improve water quality and build stewardship of local waters. Data collected by volunteers can cover a broad range of water bodies, some of which have never been evaluated by state or federal agencies. Volunteers can make a difference. In 2010, it was estimated that volunteers spent 514,700 hours collecting water quality data across the United States. In monetary terms, that has been estimated at $10,816,712 (1). With a stringent Quality Assurance/Quality Control plan (discussed in detail in Step 3), many volunteer programs supplement state and local agency data. A 2003 study found that with proper protocols and training, volunteer collected data are comparable to those of professionals (Fore et al. 2001). Research has found that citizens involved in volunteer monitoring gain knowledge of ecological systems and promote active engagement of policies protecting water quality. Monitoring programs have been found to significantly increase the political participation, personal networks, and feelings of community connectedness among participants. Volunteers tend to have a deeper appreciation for and understanding of scientific methods after participating in monitoring programs (Overdevest et al. 2004). Tips for Beginning a Volunteer Monitoring Program
The video below is an interview with Dr. Jo Latimore, an aquatic ecologist and outreach specialist with Michigan State University. She helped launch the MiCorps program in 2004 and served as its Program Director for several years. In this video she discusses her experiences as a volunteer coordinator of MiCorps and gives advice to programs that are just starting out. As you view this short video, think about the implications of her suggestions for plans you have for your own program. Also, take note of her explanations regarding the success of MiCorps and her tips for starting a program. Think about changes that you might make based on her suggestions. The Top 4 Elements of a Successful Volunteer Monitoring Program
The following elements of a successful program are adapted from materials from The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring National Water Resources Project.
Benefits of Volunteer Monitoring Programs
In addition to providing a rich source of data to help address water quality issues, volunteer monitoring programs educate citizens about local water quality issues and help them to become stewards of the environment. In the next video, several volunteers in the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program share their experiences since joining the program and discuss the impact that water monitoring has had on them. As you watch this video, take note of volunteer responses to each of the following questions:
Some of the points provided in the video included valuable lessons such as the science and complexity of lake health and monitoring as well as the need for accurate data and more landowner education. When asked if their views on water quality changed since becoming involved in a monitoring program, many discussed their increased awareness of lake conditions, better understanding of root causes and extent of problems, as well as an interest in sharing with others what they are doing and trying to learn more.
References
Fore, L. S., K. Paulsen, and K. O'Laughlin. 2001. Assessing the performance of volunteers in monitoring streams. Freshwater Biology 46: 109–123.
Overdevest, C., C. H. Orr, and K. Stepenuck. 2004. Volunteer stream monitoring and local participation in natural resource issues. Human Ecology Review 11.2: 177-185. (1) www.independentsector.org using each state’s valuation; from: Characterizing Volunteer Monitoring Programs: Results from 2011‐12 Volunteer Water Monitoring Needs Assessment
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Steps
- Step 1 | An Introduction to Developing a Volunteer Monitoring Program
- Step 2 | Setting Goals and Objectives
- Step 3 | Understanding Elements of Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) Protocols
- Step 4 | Recruiting, Training and Retaining Volunteers
- Step 5 | Collecting Reliable Data
- Step 6 | Data Collection, Analysis and Data Management
- Step 7 | Evaluating the Success of Your Program
- Acknowledgements